Electrical system of distribution.



A. McGARY.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTION.

APPLICATION FILED JANZBQ I914.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

' INVENTOR B I m M A TTOR/I/EYS min 5885s A. McGARY. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 52. msmsaunma.

' APPLiCATlON HLED JAN-26, 3914, 1 1,239,710 Paiented Sept. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- ALEXANDER IVIQGARY, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY,

A COQPQRATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTION.

Application filed January 26, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALEXANDER MCGARY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Bronx, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eleotrical Systems of Distribution, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical systems of distribution and more particularly to car lighting systems in which a generator is driven at a variable speed to feed a storage battery and worker lamp circuit for lighting the car. /V1th some systems of this general class it has been found that when applied to cars wh ch have exceptionally long runs and in which while so running lights are not being used, as in the case of baggage or express cars which run for long distances and are scaled up during the entire trip, the battery not only becomes fully charged, but because of the voltage regulation of the generator it continues to receive a small charging current even after substantially charged, which gasses the battery, evaporating the electrolyte, so that after an extremely short time the battery has entirely given out and it has been found necessary to replace such batteries long before their usual term of life has been reached.

The main object of my invention Is to provide an arrangement by which these disadvantages may be efficiently and Sili'JSifiC- torily overcome. Further objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specilication.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a diagram of the system embodying my improvements in one form;

Fig. 2' is a diagram showing my 1m.- provements applied to a modified system; and I Fig. 3 is a detail of the arrangement of my improved switch apparatus in the car. Referring to Fig. 1, 1 represents the main generator adapted to be driven at a variable speed, as from the car axle. 2 represents a shunt field therefor adapted to be regulated by a carbon pile resistance 3 in series thereyijith, which carbon pile is controlled by a sglenoid having a voltage coil Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 191.7.

Serial No. 814.434.

r and a current coil 5 to operate the resistv ance 3 to regulate the voltage of the geueratold The voltage coil i has in series there with a fixed resistance 6 and the current coil 5 is connected in series in the mains T of the generator. 6 represents a main switch of any suitable kind, adapted to connect the generator with the battery and work circuits when the generator shall have attained sullicient speed. 9 represents a storage battery, and 10 and 11, two work circuits adapted to be connected across the generator to be fed thereby. The voltage of the work circuits is regulated by a carbon pile 12in series therewith, which is controlled by a voltage solenoid 1;; connected across the work circuit 10.

16 represents a switch provided with an the contacts 20 the blade 19 is moved out oi contact with a contact 23 so as to open a shunt circuit about the resistance (5, which shunt circuit has previously been closed by the engagement of the blade 19 with both the contacts and 25.

In operation, when the generator has at tained a sullicient speed the main switch 8 is closed, thus connecting the battery in circuit with the generator and also connecting in circuit with the generator either or both of the lamp circuits, if they be turned on. The current supplied by the generator is limited by the coil 5 in a well known manner until the battery has become substantially charged when the strength of coil 4 will be so increased that the voltage of the generator 1 will be limited thereby so that the current gradually tapers off until substantially no charging current passes through the battery.

In many cars such as above described, where the car undergoes long runs without using any light, or using very little light, the battery will remain practically charged and will tend to gas and become disintegrated. In order to prevent this excessive gassing of the batteries during such long runs when the lamp circuits are turned 01f the switch 16 is adjusted to opcn-circuit the shunt 24 when the lamps are turned on so as to thereby insert the resistance 6 in circuit with the voltagecoil 1, thereby requiring a greater voltage across the generator in order to maintain the system in equilibrium. However, when the lamps are turned off the resistance 6 is shunted, thereby allowing.

the coil 4 to produce the same eifect on the carbon pile 3 with a much less generator voltage, so that when the lamps are turned off the voltagevof the generator is decreased by say two to four volts, so as to entirely eliminate any small charging current going to the battery which might cause a gassing of the cells and thus gradually destroy their usefulness. It will be noted that as soon as either or both of the work circuits are turned on by means of the switch 16 the resistance 6 is thrown in circuit with the ccil "4 s as to cause an increase of the generator voltage suflieient to fully charge the ba tery and to desulfate the battery if it shall have become sulfated because of long standing.

Much the same arrangement is shown in Fig. 2, in which the main generator is shown at 26 with its shunt field at 27 in series with the generator regulating carbon pile 28. In this modification, however, the carbon pile 28 is operated upon by two lovers 29 and 30 controlled by a current coil 31 and a voltage coil 32, respectively. In this instance the coil 31 is placed in series with the battery to maintain substantially constant charging current. A fixed resistance is placed in series with the coil 32 and is adapted to be shunted by a circuit 3 1 when the switch blade 35 of the switch 36 engages both of the contacts 37 and 38. The battery is shown at 39 and the main switch at 10. The

work circuit is indicated at 411 and has in series therewith a carbon pile 12 to regulate its voltage, which pile is controlled by a voltage solenoid 43, in a well known man- 1101'. For the purpose of turning on or ofl the work circuit the switch 36 is provided with a switch blade 41% adapted to electrically connect contacts 15 and 46 upon a throwing of a switch by means of the handle 47. The coil 31 operates to maintain substantially constant charging current until the battery becomes charged, when the coil 32 will become so' increased in strength that it will operate the carbon pile 28 to limit the voltage ot' the generator. As with the modification shown in Fig. 1, when the handle 17 is thrown to turn on the work or lamp circuit the shunt about the resistance 33 is opened, thereby necessitating a greater voltage across the generator in order to mainlain cuuilibrium, and accordingly, when the lamp circuit is turned ofi by means of the switch and the coil 33 shunted thevoltage of the generator is decreased, as explained iuconnection with Fig. 1.

In most cases the switch apparatus will be located in a locker or closet inside the car andin baggage cars where they are frequently loaded and then sealed for long trips it often happens that the attendants forget to leave space by which they may reach the switch and turn out the lights at the last moment, and in such case they are apt to leave the lights burning for the whole trip. In order, therefore, that the lights may be turned out in such cases, or may be turned out later in case the car starts on its journey without their being turned out, I provide, as shown in Fig. 3, an aperture 50 in the side of the car adapted to be closed by a plate 51 connected by means of a chain 52 with the handle 17. A weight 53is suspended from the chain 52 in order to keepand thus pull the plate 51 up the same taut to the aperture 50 so that the aperture 50 will always be closed. The plate 51 is providcd with a handle 51 by means of which the chain 52 may be pulled .at any time from the outside of the car to'operate the switch to turn off the lights and decrease the voltage of the generator, as above explained. In order that the weight 53 or the vibrations of the car will not moveor operate the switch when not desired, the handle 17- is provided with a spring pressed dog ,55 adapted to engage notches in the framework of the switch so as to keep the switch fixed in place except when it is given a positive pull by means of the handle 54 or the handle 17.

Although I have described my improvements in great detail and with respect to certain specific embodiments thereof, nevertheless I do not desire to be limited to such details except as clearly specified in the appended claims, since many changes andfill modifications may well be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention in its broader aspects.

Having fully and clearly described my improvements what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An electrical system of distribution having in combination a generator driven at a variable speed, a storage battery and work circuit connected to be fed thereby, generator regulating means including a current coil for regulating the current from the generator and a voltage coil for limiting the voltage of the generator, and means for decreasing the limit to which the voltage coil holds the voltage of the generator, when the work circuit is turned off.

2. An electrical system of distribution having in combination a generator driven at a variable speed, a storage battery and work circuit connected to be fed thereby, generator regulating means including a current coil for regulating the current from the gen= erator and a voltage coil for limiting the voltage of the generator, and means for de creasing the limit to which the voltage coil holds the voltage of the generator, when the work circuit is turned ofl', said last mentioned means embracing a switch for turning on and off the work circuit and means controlled by the switch for increasing the voltage at which said coil operates, when the work circuit is turned on by said switch.

3. An electrical system of distribution having in combination a generator, a storage battery and work circuit connected to be fed thereby, generator regulating means including a coil for limiting the voltage of the generator, and means for decreasing the limit to which the voltage coil holds the voltage of the generator, when the work circuit is turned off.

4:. An electrical system of distribution having in combination a generator, a storage battery and work circuit connected to be fed thereby, generator regulating means including a coil for limiting the voltage of the generator, a switch for turning on and off the work circuit, and means controlled by the switch for altering the etfect of said voltage coil to decrease the voltage of the generator when the work circuit is turned OK.

5. A car lighting system having in combination with the car, a generator, a storage battery and work circuit connected to be fed by the'generator, generator regulating means including a 0011 for limiting the voltage of the generator, a switch for turn ing on and oil the work circuit and means controlled by the switch for altering the effect of said voltage coil to decrease the voltage of the generator when the work circuit is turned ofi, said switch being located inside the car, and means whereby the switch may be operated from outside the car to turn off the work circuit.

6. An electrical system of distribution,

having in combination a generator, a storage battery and work circuit connected to ator, means for decreasing the limit at which the voltage coil holds the voltage'of the generator when the work circuit is turned off to a point where it will prevent any material gassing current to flow through the battery.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER MCGARY. Witnesses:

GORHAM CRosBY, EDWIN SEGER. 

